Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 10, 1 October 2000 — Akaka Bill passes in House [ARTICLE]

Akaka Bill passes in House

By Manu Boyd / / ^^emarkable. I'm delighted," said OHA I jChair Clayton Hee on the passage of H.R. 4904, "to express the policy of the United |\ States regarding the United States' relaI * tionship with Native Hawaiians, and for other purposes." The Akaka Bill, as the measure has eome to be known, was introduced into the House by Rep. Neil Abecrombie and, although not initially supported by Rep. Patsy Mink, received favorable comments from her on the House floor. Hearings of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the House Resources Committee held in | Honolulu Aug. 28-Sept. 2 drew hundreds of supporters as well as opponents who gave hours of testimony, sometimes amidst contentious onlookers. A eoneem that echoed from both sides was based on the diseretion the Secretary of the Interior would have in Hawaiian affairs. In its most recent draft,

many of the amendments recommended by the community as well as the appointed working groups were included, making the bill more palatable to the Hawaiian community, and, as evidenced in the vote, the 434-member House of Representatives. Rep. Abecrombie, himself elated with passage of the bill, was commended by Rep. Mink for "getting the bill through committee in record time." As reported in the Sept. 27 Honolulu Star Bulletin , Rep. Abecrombie said that, "This is the biggest thing that has ever happened to me in my legislative career." OHA's testimony, expressing support of the bill's passage as approved by the board, was submitted in writing and summarized by Hee in Washington, D.C. At press time, the bill's floor vote had not been B scheduled in the Senate. To read the latest draft of the bill, visit www.oha.org. "We expected that the bill's passage through the House would be mueh more diffīcult," said Hee. ■